


A Different Kind of Rock Music

by Icon_UK



Category: New Mutants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 08:39:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15530439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icon_UK/pseuds/Icon_UK
Summary: A complete random fluff piece which actually is sort of a crossover, but I can't say with what (or when) as that would spoil it.





	A Different Kind of Rock Music

There were few things Rahne missed about being in Scotland, apart from the whole “being in Scotland” part.  
  
She had never really made friends on Muir Isle, the Reverend Craig had kept her quite isolated (“Away from the sinners, and so ye’ll no spread yer own evil” as he put it, and she was still working on disbelieving him).  
  
Even at the school on Muir Isle, which she had had to attend, she had been an outsider. There weren’t that many children there in the first place, and she had been shunned by some for her associations with Craig’s Kirk, not helped by her guardian insisting she stand out in the corridor whenever Religious Education was being taught because he refused to accept her hearing any teachings by his own in that regard.  
  
She enjoyed her new life in America, where people were prepared to overlook her many sins and treat her as a friend, and was grateful to Lady Moira and Professor Xavier for their many kindnesses and the opportunities they had given her, but she missed Scotland as a place, if not a community. Not the people, but the sounds and the smells and the scenery and the general sense of it being her home.  
  
So it was nice to be able to visit the Isle without having to think about having to go “home” to the Kirk when it got dark, but instead to Lady Moira’s comfortable and spacious house where she DID have friends.  
  
Lady Moira had asked for several of the New Mutants team to come over for some further check-ups after their traumatic encounter with the Beyonder… which none of them liked to think about. So the whole team had decided to come along as moral support for the rest and as a bit of a break and some fresh air, and Scotland in November was redefining "fresh" for some of them.  
  
\- - - -  
  
Sam was undergoing the test regimen on this particular morning. Doug was helping several Madrox dupes upgrade some of Moira’s software, as part of a term paper on something he called “Binary Diagnostic Encoding” which left absolutely no one any the wiser. Amara had gone hillwalking by herself, and Berto and Illyana were involved in an ongoing table football game which had, so far, lasted an hour and a half and everyone else had long since become bored with. Dani had promised to play the victor and wanted to get out of the house before they called her on that.  
  
So Dani, with Rahne and Warlock in tow, had volunteered to go into town to pick up some extra supplies, as Lady Moira may have been a brilliant geneticist, but constantly underestimated how much food seven active teenagers could get through in a remarkably short period of time. Moira had said she’d ask the shop to deliver, but Dani, aware of the slanging match coming from the table football match, had insisted on doing it in person, NOW, and Warlock was more than capable of carrying the weight.  
  
Even with Warlock in human guise (This time a lanky, dark haired young man) as they walked through the town they got some odd looks (possibly Warlock’s choice of Bermuda short’s and a copy of one of Doug’s rather vivid taste in Hawaiian shirts had not been wise, especially in November, in Scotland), but Lady Moira had apparently made it clear to the population, most of whose freeholds she owned, exactly how unhappy she would be if anyone dared to cause offence to her ward, and the worst they got was sullen glares and the occasional muttering. And, truth to tell, Dani had had to deal with that kind of reaction long before she had been a mutant.  
  
They were walking along near the harbour when they met someone with a very different manner. He was a man in late middle age, salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard, wearing the garb of a sea captain, even down to the flat cap. He was carrying several bags of shopping, and was accompanied by a large dog of indeterminate breed (or breeds), and he positively beamed when he saw Rahne.  
  
“Miss Sinclair, it’s been such a long time, I’m delighted to see you visiting home again” His accent was similar to Rahne’s but softer, more lilting, you didn’t need to have Doug there to place him as being from the West Coast of Scotland.  
  
Dani was not surprised that Rahne blushed, the girl would blush at the drop of a hat, but she positively dimpled as she replied “Good morning Captain. Shines the light well?”  
  
“You remember!” he laughed and continued with mock formality, “It shines well indeed. As I hope can see each night. Would you do me the honour of introducing me to your friends?”  
  
Rahne blushed again, “Of course… Dani, Warlock. this gentleman is the Captain of one of the local lighthouses, and he was kind to me before I knew what that word meant.“  
  
She continued “Captain, this is Danielle Moonstar from America, the truest friend I’ve ever had. She and some of my classmates are visiting Lady Moira from America.”  
   
“Capital!” said the Captain, extending his to shake Dani’s. His hand was rough and strong, this man had known a lifetime of hard work. “Miss Moonstar, any friend of Miss Sinclair’s is a person of excellent taste.”  
  
“And this is Warlock from… well, that’s a long story.”  
  
“The best sort I’ve always found.” observed the Captain.  
  
“Greetings RahneFriendCaptain. Self is pleased to make your acquaintance.”  
  
The Captain didn’t miss a beat as he shook hands again. “And greetings to you too young man, the pleasure is mine.“  
  
Dani provided the usual cover story. “He’s a visiting student from Kvch. We’re helping him with his English”  
  
“I’ve heard worse from many who should know better. I genuinely can’t place your accent Mr Warlock, and that’s rare, but for someone who’s travelled as much as I have, it’s a tonic to meet someone from a place I’m sure I’ve never been.”  
  
“Self confirms that that is a strong likelihood.”  
  
The Captain gestured toward the dog, “And this, of course, is my ahem, faithful, companion, Sprocket. Say hello… oh, I see he’s already started.”  
  
Rahne looked up apologetically from petting the dog. Some dogs found Rahne an unsettling presence as they smelled some aspect of her wolf form on her, but clearly this was not one of them.  
  
Dani’s natural psi-link with animals extended out towards the animal and she felt that this was a dog with typically simple desires and expectations, but there was something more there. Though he was definitely a dog, this was a dog who was a LOT smarter than he let on. She winked at him, and was not particularly surprised when he winked back, then returned to lapping up the attention he was getting. Dani decided not to make a fuss about it.  
  
Dani could also see Warlock was following Rahne’s example and petting Sprocket, though she suspected she could see slightly more fingers than was entirely normal and hoped the Captain wouldn’t notice. The dog certainly wasn’t complaining, she could feel the pleasure radiating off of him.  
  
“Come away now Sprocket, and leave the nice people alone. In any event Miss Sinclair, Miss Moonstar, Mr Warlock, I hope you will all forgive me, but duty calls. You and your friends must come and visit sometime, I’m sure Sprocket would appreciate the company.”  
  
“I’m not sure we’ll have time on this visit Captain, but thank you for the invitation.”  
  
“As and when Miss Moonstar, it’s not like the lighthouse is going anywhere”  
  
And with that he set off towards the harbour, his dog trotting obediently behind.  
  
When Dani and the others emerged from the supermarket a short while later, Warlock not even noticing the number of bags of shopping he was carrying, Rahne was able to point to the small rowboat which was now well on it’s way to the distant lighthouse. Dani was impressed at the strength the Captain must have possessed, even on a still day like this one was, as it was no short distance.

She wanted to ask about how Rahne had come to know him, and vice versa, but knew that was a story Rahne would share in her own time, if she chose to at all. Rahne's childhood had been too traumatic to be casually addressed.

\- - - -  
  
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, well, as well as any day with a technorganic shapeshifter can be. Warlock had been impersonating Sprocket for much of the afternoon, saying he liked the quadrepedal experience and asking whether they could get a "dogfriendentity" to live with them at the Xavier School. When last seen he had resumed a human appearance, but kept the four legs, and Sam and Doug were patiently explaining why this was a bad idea.  
  
Night fell early this time of the year. The sun had long set, and though it calm, a chill ocean fog had rolled in over Muir Isle.  
  
Rahne had gone for a walk after supper, and Dani followed her, just to make sure she was okay. She realised she was fussing a bit, Rahne knew the place a lot better than she did and was more than able to look after herself, but all the same.  
  
She found her friend sitting on the edge of one of the rocky outcrops near the house, overlooking the water. In the distance she could see the lighthouse, it’s powerful beam sweeping across the sky.  
  
Dani came and sat beside her. “What’cha looking at Rahney?”  
  
“Just listening to the sea, watching the lighthouse. and wondering if the stories really are true.”  
  
“What stories?”  
  
“Talking to the Captain reminded me of them. Every wee boy or girl on the Island knows them, even the ones who're not supposed to."

Like the one's who have guardians who do all they can to crush a fiery little girls spirit, thought Dani bitterly.

"It’s said that when it’s a still night, and the wind is in the right direction, then you might hear music and singing coming from the lighthouse.”  
  
“What? Mermaids? Tuneful seagulls? The Captain with a ukelele?”  
  
Rahne grinned. “No one knows. The Reverend Craig forbade me, or anyone in the congregation, from ever trying to listen for such things, but we all knew the stories anyway, and on a night like tonight, you never know, it might be true.”  
  
“Well, you have sharper hearing in your wolf-form, don’t you?”  
  
Rahne blushed… “I shouldn'a be doing such a thing.”  
  
“Oh come on, confirming a local legend isn’t frivolous.” Dani’s smile took on a slightly more mischievous air “And imagine how annoying it would be for Reverend Craig if you were to prove the legend was true.”  
  
Rahne’s smile was small, but genuine and there was a glint in her eye, now she had a conspirator. “Well, in that case. But I’m not wearing anything wi’ unstable molecules, and it’s cold out, so it’ll just be halfway.”  
  
Without any further ado, her skin rippled and flowed, fur sprouting from her face and hand as the metamorphosis began. A few seconds later, a wolf-girl in heavy jumper and long skirt was sitting where Rahne had sat.  
  
Motioning Dani to be silent she strained to listen, her pointed ears perking up, her head turning from side to side to cover range better. At first she could only hear the sea, it’s endless gentle rolling now more pronounced,, the bell atop an occasional buoy. She was able to focus her hearing much better in this form, and though not as sensitive as her full wolf form, could understand what she was hearing better.  
  
Rahne was also aware of Dani’s presence through their psi-link. It was weaker in half-wolf form than when full wolf, but it was enough for her to be able to share her sensory impressions, and Dani was there to encourage her.  
  
She lost all track of time, she might have been listening for a minute or an hour. The cold didn’t bother her with her fur layer, and wolves have patience encoded into their DNA, so waiting was not an issue.  
  
_THERE!_   Just at the absolute edge of her range, possibly beyond it, there was a voice... no, not one, but multiple voices!  
  
If it hadn’t been for the way sound travels near water she probably would never have heard it all, and the voices were singing. She couldn’t make out the words, but it was definitely singing, and it didn’t sound like a recording, the Captain playing a record or something, this was too random, too raucous for that. It was, for want of a better term, a live performance.  
  
Then the voices died down as the song ended, and Rahne pulled herself back into herself, resuming her human form, and Dani’s presence faded from her mind. Even so the first thing she did was turn to face her friend, who had been sitting cross-legged on a nearby rock this whole time, despite the chill in the air, and give her an excited smile.  
  
“Oh my… Dani! It’s true! You heard it didn’t you?”  
  
“I heard something, and it might have been music, I don’t know, my senses aren’t as attuned as yours’ are.

“I was only joking when I started out, I didn’t expect it to be true. I wonder if it’s the fair folk!”  
  
Dani sort of wished she could dismiss that idea out of hand, but life at Xavier’s had shown her her that most of the things she had always thought of as fiction, like aliens, and Demon Bears and (according to one case study that the Professor had told them) the leprechauns living in Cassidy Keep, were real. She tried to maintain an air of rationality though, just to be on the safe side.  
  
“Before we do anything, we should find out as much as we can about that place. Does the island with the lighthouse have a name? We could set Doug to researching it, you know he LOVES that stuff.”  
  
“Yes, it’s an odd name, a very old name I think. It’s called Fraggle Rock”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, quick explanation for non-British folk. 
> 
> In the UK, Jim Henson's seminal and entertaning puppet series of the 1980's "Fraggle Rock" had a different set-up than the one shown in the US and Canada. 
> 
> All the Fraggle's, their performers, and the scenes featuring them exclusively, were the same, but instead of Fraggle Rock being a notional place behind a hole in the wall in Doc’s basement workshop, Fraggle Rock was the name of an actual offshore island which had a lighthouse on it, and the role of "human" was filled by "the Captain", who had retired from his life on the sea to become the lighthouse keeper there. Sprocket was still his faithful pet of course, and likewise still performed by Steve Whitmire. 
> 
> The role of the Captain was played by noted character actor Fulton MacKay, who was best known to British viewers as “Mr MacKay”, the officious, martinet Prison Officer in popular sitcom “Porridge”, though 1980’s film aficionados might recognise him from a memorable turn as a beachcomber and sage in “Local Hero”.
> 
> Sadly Fulton MacKay passed away after playing the Captain for three seasons, and was replaced first by the Captain’s nephew “PK” (short for Principle Keeper, and played by John Gordon Sinclair in seasons 4 and 5), and for the final season by “BJ” (Which was, I hasten to add, short for "Bertwhistle Jr." played by Simon O'Brien)
> 
> After starting to write this, I did some more checking and found a reference that Fraggle Rock was intended to be off the South Coast of England (Which would make sense given it was made by a TV station in that area), rather than the West Coast of Scoatland, to which I say…. Well, it’s not like I’m asking this to become canon, so what the heck, so just off Muir Isle it shall stay for the purposes of this fic.
> 
> I should also note I have a bit of a problem with Rahne's accent. I haven't written a large role for her before, so this is my first stab at it, and whatever accent Chris Claremont gave her, I can assure you as a Scot myself it's not one that can be found on the West Coast and that's always irritated me a little. The area she's from has a very light accent by most reckonings. It's a lilting way of talking rather than an incomprehensible brogue. So I have left most of her dialogue in basic English. This may change a little as I get more confident, but just putting my cards on the table about it here.


End file.
